School Holidays Extended: Karnataka Govt Extends Dussehra Holidays Till October 18 – Here’s Why

The Karnataka government has extended Dasara holidays for government and aided schools until October 18 to allow teachers to focus on the ongoing Social and Educational Survey, officials said.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah highlighted that coverage in Bengaluru is still low at just 36%, despite 6,700 teachers being engaged in the survey. With 46 lakh households in the city and a daily target of 10–15 homes per teacher, the government aims to complete the survey in Bengaluru before Deepavali.

The Dasara holidays, which began on September 20, had earlier seen school timings temporarily adjusted to 8 am to 1 pm to provide teachers with more time for survey work. Following a request from the Karnataka State Primary School Teachers Association, the chief minister decided to further extend the holidays to facilitate the survey’s completion.

Pre-University teachers will be exempt from survey duties due to upcoming midterm examinations.

The survey, often referred to as the “caste survey,” was initially scheduled to conclude by October 7. Siddaramaiah noted that while districts like Koppal have completed 97% of the work, others, including Udupi and Dakshina Kannada, lag behind at 63% and 60%, respectively. He stated that the state-wide survey is expected to be completed in eight working days, ending October 18.

In a related announcement, the chief minister confirmed a compensation of Rs 20 lakh to three staff members who lost their lives during the survey.

With the extended holidays and adjusted schedules, the Karnataka government aims to ensure all households are efficiently covered without disrupting the academic calendar for students.